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Criminal Law—Scarlet Letters: Traffic Stops Based On “Special” License Plates Must Follow The Letter Of The Constitution—State V. Henning, Piper Kenney Webb, Bruce H. Hanley

William Mitchell Law Review

The Minnesota Supreme Court recently addressed whether a Minnesota statute authorizing law enforcement to stop motorists based solely on the presence of special license plates issued primarily to repeat drunken drivers is proper under the United States and Minnesota Constitutions. In State v. Henning, the court held the statute unconstitutional by a 4-3 decision. Finding no persuasive reason to do otherwise, the court struck down the legislature's attempt to eliminate the requirement that law enforcement have “reasonable articulable suspicion” to conduct an investigatory stop of a motor vehicle. This article provides a brief survey of similar laws in other states …